Pukenui School (Te Kuiti)

School Report

Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.

We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.

Every New Zealand state and state integrated school has an ERO review at least once every four years to evaluate what is working well for learners and what needs to be improved. 

About the School

Pukenui School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The current roll is 140, 82% of learners identify as Māori and 11% as NZ European / Pākehā. The school’s S.O.L.E. values encourage students to show respect for self, others, learning and the environment. 

In April 2025, a Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) was appointed to support the school Board and school in the areas of employment, policies and procedures, curriculum management and communications. 

Education Counts provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement, school enrolments and school zones. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

An explanation of the terms and judgements used in this report can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office

Improvement and progress

This section is about the progress the school has made since the July 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected Improvements 

The school focused on increasing progress for all students in literacy and mathematics, especially for Māori learners and boys, and improving student attendance. The school expected to see the implementation of planned actions designed to promote effective rates of progress rates and foster more equitable outcomes for all learners, resulting in enhanced engagement with learning.

Findings 

Leaders have developed a comprehensive attendance plan and regularly monitor and report on outcomes.  Strategies are in place for students and their whānau to minimise barriers to regular attendance.  The school is making appropriate use of Attendance Services to support the attendance plan. 

A targeted intervention shows positive rates of acceleration in mathematics for identified groups of students. There is still an urgent need to accelerate learning for all students below expected levels and raise overall achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.

What we know about learner success

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

How well are learners succeeding?Improvements are required to ensure all learners are engaged, making sufficient progress and achieving well.What is the quality of teaching and learning?The school is improving teaching and learning.How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs?

Learners have some opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is an increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain skills in foundational skills in literacy and mathematics.

Learners with complex needs are well supported to achieve their education goals. 

How well does school planning and conditions support ongoing improvement?The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school is taking steps to improve learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners?

The school is improving its reporting to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress.

The school is improving its collection and use of information gathered through community consultation to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.

Student Health and SafetyThe school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.

Achievement in Years 0 to 8

This section is about learner achievement. It outlines how well learners across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level of The New Zealand Curriculum in foundational skills.

Less than a third 

Less than half 

Small majority 

Large majority 

Most 

Almost all 

0 to 33%

34 to 49%

50 to 64%

65 to 79%

80 to 90%

Over 90%

Reading

Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Attendance

This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.

• Less than half of all students attend school regularly.
• The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
• Chronic absence is not reducing over time. 

Assessment

This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.

•  The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Teachers are developing their use of assessment information to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.

Progress

• The school is developing good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
• The school has to some extent improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
• ERO was unable to verify the extent to which achievement and progress is extended for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
• The school is not making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

Next steps for improvement

This section provides more detail for the school to include in its strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school. It outlines what the school is doing well and identifies actions for improvement.

Areas of Strength

• The Limited Statutory Manager, school Board and leaders work collaboratively to identify strategic priorities for continuous school improvement.
• Leaders actively collect student feedback to respond to their wellbeing needs and considerations.
• Structured approaches to literacy and mathematics support greater consistency of teaching practice across the school.
• Leaders and teachers work together to improve shared understandings of assessment and reliable teacher judgements.
• Provision of ongoing professional learning builds collective capability to better support learners and improve their outcomes.
• Targeted interventions are developed and reviewed to ensure they are effective in supporting improved student progress.

Key priorities

• Develop effective analysis of achievement data and use of assessment information to inform planning and targeted actions.
• Accelerate student learning, improve progress and raise overall student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Develop relational trust, amongst the staff, through effective collaboration to drive continuous improvement.
• Consult with parents and whānau to inform school priorities including increasing regular attendance.

Action to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• leaders and teachers develop shared understanding of rates of progress and accelerated learning and determine a plan of action
• the school Board establish meaningful consultation processes with parents and whānau to gather insights to inform school decision-making
• leaders consult with teachers and develop clear expectations for an effective collaborative learning culture

Within six months:

• teachers use assessment data effectively to inform planning, teaching and learning
• leaders and teachers work together to identify attendance patterns, engage with whānau and implement further specific strategies for improvement 

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers monitor rates of student progress and attendance to evaluate the quality of targeted actions
• leaders review and adjust the agreed expectations and processes that support working together, relational trust and school culture

Annually:

• leaders evaluate and report on the effectiveness of school actions and teaching practices to improve learner progress and outcomes
• the School Board undertake consultation and use the information to guide annual goals, teaching and learning priorities and resource allocation
• leaders strengthen the attendance plan, monitor strategies and address ongoing barriers to regular attendance. 

Expected outcomes

• Higher rates of student progress and achievement for all learners.
• Improved levels of regular student attendance to meet the Government target.
• School priorities reflecting community aspirations with clear alignment to strategic planning.
• A positive school culture and effective collaboration for continuous improvement.

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements.

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report reviews the school's policies, procedures, documentation, and checks that it meets all regulations, maintains a safe environment, and supports students' wellbeing.

During this review the Board has attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Actions for Compliance 

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the Board assurance process:

• consultation with the school’s Māori community to develop and make known to the school’s community policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students.
  [Section 127 (1) (d) of the Act: Objectives of boards in governing school, Section 139 of the Act: Preparing strategic plan, NELP 5 (MOE)]
• ensure processes are in place to monitor the expiry and renewal of staff who hold a Limited Authority to Teach
  [Education and Training Act 2020; Schedule 3, Clause 14].

The Board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.
The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within four years.

Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children

Sharon Kelly
Director of Schools 

24 November 2025